[surbie100]

I grew these because I love the physalis sold in shops. I've got 4 little bushes fairly dripping with fruit, but they don't taste the same at all. They taste like little bursts of honey, instead of being tart.

They aren't orange either - they ripen to a yellowy colour from green.

Is this right and should I have done something differently? They are in a growhouse, fed weekly and watered daily.

The unripe fruit taste disgusting, very bitter, pwah!

[moose]

I have been growing a dwarf type, about 15-18 inches tall. Lots of golden coloured fruit but none of the family have really liked them.

[Sparkyrog]

I grew them one year Surbie, I don't think you have done anything wrong that is how they come 

[BobE]

Could they make jam Surbie?  With lots of sugar.

[devonbarmygardener]

Your plants look quite different in your pictures than mine?
I wonder if you have a different cultivar

Mine have always had berries that have been a rich yellowey- orange colour, but my plants leaves look different. Will try and post a pic in the morning. My plants are nearly 5 ft tall too. 

[allotmentann]

They do come in different colours, so there must be a number of varieties. I grew (supposedly) pineapple, strawberry and I think it was plum flavoured the other year. Unfortunately nobody liked any of them. The bushes were not small either as you describe but grew really tall.
I am not sure from your question whether yours taste like honey and you want them tarter or if I should have read it the other way and it is the shop ones that tasted of honey?
The ones that I grew were hard and bitter for absolutely ages and only began to taste sweeter and change colour (to orange and purple) as the frosts came. There was no discernible difference in flavour between any of them. 

[surbie100]

Your plants look quite different in your pictures than mine?
I wonder if you have a different cultivar

Mine have always had berries that have been a rich yellowey- orange colour, but my plants leaves look different. Will try and post a pic in the morning. My plants are nearly 5 ft tall too. 

After some time comparing on Gurgle, I think you hit the nail on the head Emma.

Apparently there are 3 strains, peruviana (which I think is the one you have), and pruinosa and pubsescens which are dwarfing and have similar, but not the same, fruits. (Bob, no sugar needed with these - they are far too sweet for that!)

Neither my Unwins seed packet nor the website give the latin name, which would have sorted it definitively, but I think you and Moose are right and I've got one of the other varieties. Probably pubsescens from reading around. Pants! Next year...

Thanks very much for all the help and pointers. When I bought them I didn't realise there were different kinds. 

[devonbarmygardener]

I didn't know either Surbie!
I have bought different brands of seed but it's always been the same plant/ berry.
They are very tart to eat fresh. However they also last for weeks and weeks in their crispy papery covers and they get a bit sweeter with age.
I find I don't eat them much before October/November

[Annen]

I'm growing tomatillos, are they the same thing?

[devonbarmygardener]

I believe they are in a similar family to cape gooseberries Annen. I have never grown them though but let me know if they are nice and I may try next year. Particularly if I could grow them outside.

These are my Cape Gooseberries - DTB's 'Golden Berry'
I grow them in my very crowded greenhouse - they are currently under the Gartenperle baskets but I am starting to move them out further into the light now they have shot up and are producing flowers.


Out of 26 seeds I think I got 24 plants!! A few too many but better than planting a few and getting no germination as has happened previously
I do find they get a bit 'shocked' on first transplanting but persevere as they will pick up.